06/23, 12:46pm

Initial effort limited to store-within-a-store

Apple will dip its toe into eastern European retail for the first time through a store-within-a-store in the Czech capital of Prague, a media invitation reveals. The notice was sent out by local chain Alza, saying that Apple's presence will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the HoleŇ°ovice Alza location on Friday at 8PM. The sub-outlet should operate much like ones in Best Buy and Walmart stores in the US, which are manned by staff from Apple.

04/16, 9:24am

Model still not available in US

The 8GB iPhone 5c is now on sale in 14 more countries, checks show. When the 8GB option first became available last month, it launched in just a handful of regions. The model is newly available in the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Spain, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Switzerland.

06/07, 12:56pm

Site says Czech Republic could be in second round of iPhone launches

A Czech site claims it has obtained images of several parts for an upcoming iPhone 5S. Letem Světem Applem says these include a FaceTime camera, a Home button, and a vibration motor. Although the authenticity of the parts can't be verified, the site says they have country-specific serial numbers, which could mean that the Czech Republic will be included in the first major international wave of 5S launches, after an initial smaller wave concentrating on countries like the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany.

10/10, 9:03pm

Microsoft Czech Republic affiliate releases info, immediately refuted

Following the remarks from a Czech Microsoft executive claiming imminent availability of Microsoft Office for iOS and Android in March 2013, Microsoft representatives in the US are denying the revealed release dates. Microsoft spokesman Frank X. Shaw publicly disowned the report, saying in a tweet that "the information shared by our Czech Republic subsidiary is not accurate. We have nothing further to share."

07/19, 2:43pm

Separate from iTunes Match growth

(Updated with additional countries) Movie support has been added to iTunes in the Cloud in three more regions. The UK, Canada, and Columbia now have access to the feature, which ensures that movies bought on one device are automatically available for download elsewhere. Previously the countries could only use the option for music, apps, books, and music videos.

03/23, 10:40am

Italy, Spain, Sweden among prominent regions

The third-generation iPad is now on sale in an additional 25 countries. The emphasis is mostly on Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden are included. The only non-European countries are in fact Macau, Mexico, and New Zealand.

12/15, 5:10pm

More expansions may be imminent

Following a botched rollout on Wednesday, Apple has today officially expanded iTunes Match to Canada and the UK. In Canada the service costs $28 a year, while in the UK annual pricing is set at £22. Unlike regular iCloud options, iTunes Match allows a person to mirror and remotely access their entire music library, regardless of whether the content is on iTunes.

11/02, 12:15pm

High subsidy costs blamed

The Czech branch of international carrier Telefonica will not support the iPhone 4S, and is in fact dropping all earlier iPhones as well, according to local news outlet Hospodarske Noviny, quoting Telefonica spokesman Hany Farghali. The company blames Apple business terms; in particular, it is believed to have problems with the carrier subsidies demanded by Apple. In the US, for example, Sprint is known to be paying Apple about $200 more per device than the industry average.

10/28, 1:20pm

Shipping times still averaging 1-2 weeks

The iPhone 4S is now formally on sale in 22 more countries, following an expansion of preorders exactly a week ago. For the time being Apple has adopted a European focus; new regions include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. More regions should be added over the course of the next several months.

10/21, 9:30am

Ireland, Spain, Sweden among major regions

Apple has opened up iPhone 4S preorders to 22 previously unserved countries. The phone is now available in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Shipping times are typically listed at one to two weeks, a delay consistent with the US online store.

09/29, 10:55am

Apple adds bulletpoints for upcoming iPhone event

Apple has dramatically expanded the presence of iTunes in Europe, reports say. In addition to Poland, the iTunes Music Store is now accessible in 11 more European countries. The remainder of the list includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

09/28, 3:35pm

Could signify wider Apple TV sales to match

(Updated with Swedish info) Ten more European Union countries should soon be getting access to the iTunes Music Store, according to a music industry source in touch with Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita. Only Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic are mentioned by name. Apple though is said to be essentially ready to go with the expansion; a separate source suggests an October launch, which could in theory coincide with the company's October 4th press event or follow sometime thereafter.

09/19, 10:25am

Reduces dependence on resellers

Apple has expanded the reach of its online store to four more countries. Of the group, all but one are European, including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The sole exception is the United Arab Emirates. For each country, welcome graphics have been edited to reflect colors of the national flag.

11/30, 9:30am

Concentration stays on Europe, east Asia

Apple has formally debuted the iPad in 10 additional countries. In eastern Asia, the tablet is now available in Taiwan and South Korea, joining the likes of China and Japan. The remaining launches are all European, and include Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the Czech Republic.